Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-04-01
The DEBT COMMISSION.
WHAT THE STATE PRESS HAVE TO
SAY ON THE SUBJECT.
lLunohbnrr News lpen.ll

lature to designate committee OF
the ablest and most discreet men
in the state to confer with such
commissioners. No possible harm
can come from this, and it may lead
to such legislation as will compose
this acrimonious quarrel and tran
quilize the ruinous agitation that Is
now bringing financial and com
mercial disaster upon the state
We emphatically favor a conference
with the creditors, if they shall ex-
press a desire for the same, and are
willing to meet us in far, consid-
crate and courteous spirit.
VALLEY virginan (Rep)l
It wonld have been far better had
Governor Lee made no allnsiOn to
a commission on the debt qnes.
ton, than TO have presented the
subject in the way he does in his
formal message. The bOndholders
are as well, if not better, acqualnt-
ed with the legislation relating to
the debt and the condition OF the
state as he is. To simply recon-
mend that a commission he appoint
ed to inform them that the Riddle.
berger bill is the UitimGfum of the
party in power is foolishness. II
they recognize the commission at
all, it will be, most likely, to state
that the Supreme Court OF the
United States had also decreed an
ultimdtum, and that they would
rest upon that rather than the re-
solve of a party caucus, issued
! through the partisan influence dom
mating the Legislature. Thus tor
tilted, they would not submit to
coercion, while they might agree
on terms equally as favorable as the
Riddleberger bill, if they were prop
erly approached and their adiudi-
Gated rights fairly considered, IN
the light of the states revenues and
the ability of the people to pay.
lLoudoun Mirror (Dem.)l
The appointment of iudicious
committee of conference to meet the
bondholders, or their representa-
tives, face to face, and enforce the
truths, so fairly stated by Governor
Lee, can do no harm, and may re-
suit in much good-it is at least
worth trying. 1t might be able to
convince them of the good faith OF
the Commonwealth, and bring about
a settlement mutually satisfactory
to all concerned, and thus put an
end to this interminable squabble
over the public debt, which has'too
long been the mere football OF
party.
Winchester Times (Dem.).l
The powers of the commission are
to be very limited, in fact merely
to represent to the bondhOlders the
extreme advisability of funding nm
der the Riddleberger settlement i'm
mediately, if not sooner. But would
it not accomplish the same purpose
to send engraved upon parchment,
with blue ribbon trimmings, all the
preambles to all the resolutions and
all the bills that either have become
laws, or have been offered in the
Legislature in regard to the state
debt 1t would take a vast deal OF
parchment, but the bOndholders
would get just as much lurid rhet-
ORC as if ten commissioners should
crate them, and besides, would be
deprived Of all right to reply.
IWytheville Enterprise Dem l
Instead of telling the people of
the state, through his message to
their representatives, that the Rid.
dleberger bill had totally failed IN
accomplishing its purposes; that
the Supreme Court of the land had
virtually declared it unconstitution-
al; that the creditors had firmly
but positively declined to accept ITS
provisions under any and all cir
cumstances that the embarrass.
ments of the State were already
great and becoming more and more
so every day under the operation
of the past obstructive legislation,
and that therefore every consldera-
ton OF patriotism, right and dniy
pointed TO the necessity Of an at
tempt 70 compromise this debt IN
fair and honorable manner with
those who held our obligations
instead-we repeat-Of impresslng
these plain, even if unpalatable,
truths upon the minds of our leg
islators, he tenders them a soothing
syrup substitute in the shape Of =
"bob-tailedn commission, the mem
bers of which are to be Invested Of
all discretion, except to repeat,
parrot like, one single song of
praise in laudation of the fairness,
and right of a series of Wegdl and
unconstitutional exactments.
Richmond Dispatch DEM.
Bat the commission must not be
so trammelIed as to deprive it OF
the character of commission ap-
pointed in good faith. 1t must lot
20 forth EARNED and equipped ac-
cording to law" to shoot down the
enemies of the Commonwealth, but
must be clothed with power to
make friends of the most hard
hearted of the bOndhOlders, and
win them over to the side Of right
and Justice. The commission can
not be clothed with that power If it
is announced beforehand that its
members are bound hand and foot.
A commission Of that sort would
be in no wise preferable to circu-
lar letter. IL would be a commits
sion without mission. 1t would
be flag of truce floating in the
midst of guns loaded to the muzz'e.
buckingham Register (Dcm).
We must confess we cannot see
what possible good can come from
such a commission. We think 1t Is
an error to suppose the bondhold-
holders are ignorant OF the condi-
ton of Virginia. They know It as
we'll as we-and knowing it they
cry more The only way to meet
them is in the attitude of light
When the Riddleberger bill was
framed, its originators-GeneIa al
Malone and his party-knew 1t
would never be accepted willingly
by the bOndhOlders, and when the